Dear Durham Democratic Women and Friends:We need you to pick up your pens and postcards today and write to the members of the Senate Insurance Committee. The Senate has decided they don't need to wait for the Governor: they can act to say No to establishing a Health Exchange and Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act.

The official title of Senate Bill 4 isAN ACT (1) TO CLARIFY THE STATE'S INTENT NOT TO OPERATE A STATE-RUN OR "PARTNERSHIP" HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE, (2) TO PROVIDE THAT FUTURE MEDICAID ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS WILL BE MADE BY THE STATE RATHER THAN THE FEDERALLY FACILITATED EXCHANGE, AND (3) TO REJECT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT'S OPTIONAL MEDICAID EXPANSION.

Pretty clear, huh? Just say no! Who cares about the 20% of North Carolinians who have no health insurance?

Will you write a postcard-a-day this week to members of the Senate Insurance Committee asking them to oppose this bill? Tell them it is bad for North Carolina. Medicaid Expansion will not only enable nearly 500,000 low-income North Carolinians to have health care coverage but over 6 years it will bring $15.5 billion dollars of Federal Medicaid funds into our state health care system. That means lots of good paying jobs for North Carolinians. We need Medicaid Expansion to grow our economy and keep our families healthy.

Start with Sen McKissick since he is our Senator. And then move on to the Committee CoChairs: Sen Tom Apodaca and Sen Wesley Meredith. A blizzard of postcards from us and from other women across the state can make a difference.

And don't forget about the HKonJ Rally and March on February 9. We've printed up a new Durham Democratic Women banner for the occasion so we can make sure our state leaders know where we stand on the issues. Look for us and join us at 10:00 AM at Shaw University in Raleigh. For more information http://hkonj.com